{"id":3500,"date":"2000-03-10T10:48:00","date_gmt":"2000-03-10T15:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/?p=3500"},"modified":"2020-12-27T10:49:24","modified_gmt":"2020-12-27T15:49:24","slug":"respecting-our-differences-workshop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/respecting-our-differences-workshop\/","title":{"rendered":"Respecting Our Differences Workshop"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

1. Introductions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Purpose for our time: Develop a self-understanding about ourselves so that we may appreciate the differences we see in others through<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*knowing about \u201ctarget and non-target\u201d groups<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Bible study, and a<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*discussion about colors<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. We are all different.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Although we share a common identity of events, history, likes, values, laws, and so forth, we are also different. We are not all the same in exactly the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Do continuums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        a. Tallest to the shortest in height<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Are there others in your family who are the same size as you? Do you<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            happen to be the shortest? the tallest? Do you know why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        b. Longest hair to the shortest hair<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Why do you have your hair at this length?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        c. Lightest to the darkest skin color<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Why do you think your skin color is the shade that it is?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            In our society, we tend to believe differences are negatives. We often think that taller is better, lighter is better. We become accustomed to believing that there is this \u201cideal\u201d person who\u2019s just the right height, just the right color, just the right hairstyle whom we want to copy. Ask ourselves: what is just right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The continuums not only showed our differences that are unique and the beautiful parts of us crafted by God, but they showed us that regardless of where we stood on the continuums, we were still members of the group. None of us were extraneous. We all belong to the whole family. Some taller, some shorter, some darker, some lighter, some chose to wear our hair longer, shorter, but all belonging to the same family. Even in our differences, we are still similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Define Racism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            a. Prejudice is a personal attitude toward other people based on a categorical judgment about their physical characteristics, such as race, ethnic origin or gender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            b. Racism is a racial prejudice plus power. Racism is the intentional or unintentional use of power to isolate, separate and exploit others. This use of power is based on a belief in superior racial origin, identity or supposed racial characteristics. Racism confers certain privileges on and defends the dominant group, which in turn sustains and perpetuates racism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            c. Institutional racism is consciously or unconsciously enforced and maintained by legal, cultural, religious, educational, economic, political and military institutions in societies. It is one of the ways organizations and structures serve to preserve injustices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we are at our best, we can affirm all of our differences and accept one another. It is often not that easy or simple. We discover we do have prejudices toward people and when we also have our prejudices accompanied by the prejudices of the dominant group with power, then we are participating in racism. Look at the definitions. We are capable of turning what we have affirmed as our unique God crafted gifts into badges of degradation, exploitation, and victimization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Oppression of Target Groups<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oppression gets in the way of a natural tendency to recognize, understand, and appreciate differences and similarities. See chart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            a. Which target groups are you or have you been a member of? Circle all those that apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            b. What are the strengths that come from your experiences as a member of one of the groups you circled? Write down the words that come to mind to describe these strengths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            c. Think about a time when you were treated as \u201cless than\u201d because of your membership in one of the groups you\u2019ve circled. Write down the words that come to mind that describe being treated as \u201cless than.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            d. Which non-target groups are you or have you been a member of? Circle all those that apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            e. \u201cb\u201d above<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            f. Think about a time when you were treated as \u201cbetter than\u201d because of your membership in one of the groups you\u2019ve circled. Write down the words that come to mind that describe these experiences of being treated as \u201cbetter than.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We see our identities in both \u201ctarget\u201d and \u201cnon-target\u201d groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Can Christians be racist?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

YES!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

a. Genesis 12:1-8. God is starting a new relationship with the world. This relationship comes through Abram and Sarai and promises them an unlimited solidarity with the whole world. In calling them out to a land yet to be shown them, God calls upon Abram and Sarai to give up the limited solidarity of homeland (nation, race) and extended family. God promises them that they will be a blessing to \u201call the families of the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

b. Acts 10. Peter had a revelation that both \u201cclean\u201d and \u201cunclean\u201d are blessed by God. Peter was able to see that God shows no partiality. But accepts in every nation (race) those who fear and honor God and do what is right in relation to one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

c. Genesis 1:26-28. Everyone is made in the image of God, co-creator with God. We have the right to be fully included at home in God\u2019s creation. Everyone is entitled to share equally in the resources provided. From the very beginning God intended to share his world-making power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

d. The Bible depicts the movement of the people of God in a jubilee world. Jesus makes this world now and forever \u201cat hand\u201d: \u201cThe kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel\u201d (Mk.1:15). Each person by faith may live as a \u201cnew creation\u201d (Gal. 6:15) in a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1). Jesus assumed the jubilee, God\u2019s new beginning, in his first reported sermon to his hometown congregation. As a visiting teacher invited to read the last Scripture of the Sabbath worship, Jesus was given the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He chose to read from Chapter 61. Then he sat down to preach. And he said, \u201cToday this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Racism is a sin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By now we can all agree that we can be more inclusive, less prejudicial, and that the Bible teaches against racism. But why is it so hard to be loving and caring, accepting, trusting, and inviting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason is racism is a sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Racism is a power and a principality. Racism is a form of cultural addiction. We do not even have to choose racism. There are plenty of laws against it. But racism influences us, even controls, chosen or not. It makes us say with Paul, \u201cI do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. So then it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me.\u201d (Romans 7:15-17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order for us to fight against sin, to overcome racism in our culture and in us, we will need to put on the \u201cwhole armor of God.\u201d We will need all the help we can get. Jesus has authorized us to take authority over such unclean spirits, such cultural addictions as racism, \u201cto cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity\u201d (Mt. 10:1). Since racism is a sin, then we must seek forgiveness from God and our fellow human beings and prepare to be transformed by the Spirit toward redemption and reconciliation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. The meaning of Color<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Color is such a big part of our world. We don\u2019t watch black and white TV sets anymore when there\u2019s color. We use color to accent our outfits so that there\u2019s something to catch the eye. Robert Fulghum, the noted storyteller, tells about his wish to give everyone in the world a carton of 64 Crayolas with the built-in sharpener so that we can color the whole world with peace and understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we see certain colors or hear the names of the colors, what images are conjure up in your minds?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Blue\u2014placid and peaceful<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Pink\u2014sexy, romantic or baby girl<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Green\u2014growth and life<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when we refer to certain people with certain colors, the meanings associated with these colors can both be affirming and debilitating. The language we use everyday has been developed out of our historical interaction as a larger society. Language, too, shapes our attitudes and judgments. Language forms our values and directs our perceptions of people and situations. Since our common language has been historically developed by the group in power, our language contains many expressions that either covertly or overtly devalue people of other races and ethnic groups. This also happens to women. This means that racist and sexist judgments become imbedded in the very language we use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Yellow\u2014coward<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Red\u2014stubborn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the greatest color dichotomy that has been used throughout the centuries has been that of Black and White.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ossie Davis, the actor, once developed a lesson on racism in language. When he looked up WHITENESS and BLACKNESS in Roget\u2019s International Thesaurus, he found that blackness has 120 synonyms, sixty are unfavorable (50%). Some are blotch, smut, murky, evil, deadly, and dirty. There are 20 synonyms related to race, such as Negress, nigger, darky, and blackamoor. Whiteness as 134 synonyms, 44 are favorable. such as purity, cleanliness, innocent, fair, and trustworthy. Only 10 synonyms (less than 8%) are negative, such as whitewash. Ossie Davis has said, \u201cThe English language is my enemy. It teaches the Black child 60 ways to hate himself (herself) and the white child 60 ways to aid and abet him or her in the crime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding to society\u2019s color biases, Christianity has been accompanied by the symbolism of color. White is used to express the pure, while black expresses the diabolical. The conflict between \u201cgood and evil\u201d came finally to be expressed by the conflict between white and black. Whiteness brings to mind the light, ascension into the bright realm, the immaculateness of virgin snow, the white dove of the Holy Spirit. Blackness suggests the infernal streams of the bowels of the earth, the pit of hell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Black\u2014evil (our hearts are black with sin)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            White\u2014good (though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To build an inclusive community requires that we practice new language symbols that will not degrade any member of our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Read Gellman\u2019s \u201cThe Bird-Feather Rainbow\u201d <\/strong>on page 35.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Closing prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1. Introductions             Purpose for our time: Develop a self-understanding about ourselves so that we may appreciate the differences we see in others through *knowing about \u201ctarget and non-target\u201d groupsContinue readingRespecting Our Differences Workshop<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-group-leadership"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3500"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3501,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3500\/revisions\/3501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}